Bulldog’s development coach Travis Varcoe reviews the 10 AFL-listed players who featured in Footscray’s 48-point win over Box Hill on Saturday.

Lachie Hunter

26 disposals, seven marks, six tackles, six inside 50s, five clearances

“It’s nice to see him back and putting some form together. Obviously he’s put in the work and is running out games well, but his knowledge and communication with the younger boys around too – he’s been around and seen a lot of footy, so that along with the influence he has on games is just second to none. There’s a lot of beneficiaries off the back of that, so it’s been good to see him work his way back in.”

Sam Darcy

17 disposals, four marks, three clearances, 20 hit outs

“Darce had his opportunity in the ruck – it looks like he’s grabbed that with both hands. He’s still learning the caper but it was a massive and positive step to one, get himself back on the park but also to take on a new role. I think our mids loved being underneath him – he’s such a massive presence for us. It’s going to be great to see what he can do in the weeks to come.”

Zaine Cordy

15 disposals, seven marks, seven rebound 50s

“Zaine was super strong for us. With the entries and open looks that Box Hill actually had, he was able to halve and win a lot himself. Like Lachie, he’s just such a great soundboard - he has a great feel on the game and great knowledge, which our younger boys feed off and are able to take some guidance. It was another solid game by Zaine. He’s continuing on a great track.”

Toby McLean

19 disposals, five tackles, four inside 50s, six clearances, two goals

“In his first game back, there was some great stuff from Tobes - as you’d expect – like the in and under pressure. He’s also seen a lot of football at AFL level, so again he was another who provided our forwards with some clarity and direction. He was able to get on the end of some too, so he’ll be better for the run. We’re looking forward to seeing what he can do in the next two/four/six weeks.”

Buku Khamis

Eight disposals, four marks, three goals

“Buks was a great presence for us inside forward 50. He played on a bigger and stronger opponent in Kyle Hartigan, but I thought he was able to use his leading patterns and his own strength with his explosiveness off the mark to get in really good positions. Buks gives us good confidence to actually hit the goal-face – I really loved his competitiveness in the air too. It was a great game from him after a staggered three weeks of playing/not-playing, travelling emergency etc. He’ll be better for the run.” 

Dom Bedendo

21 disposals, six marks, seven inside 50s, one goal

“Dommy has put in a nice block of work and is deserving of his AFL opportunity this week. It’ll be great to see him make his debut, but in this game he stuck to what we needed as part of our structure and was able to get some looks off the back of that. One thing about Dom is that he just runs all day both ways, so again, he’s very deserving of his shot. I’m excited to see what the next couple of weeks look like for him.”

Arthur Jones

15 disposals, three marks, six inside 50s, one goal

“Arty is still working on his forward craft. We were able to get him up the ground a little bit more and represent in our forward 50 which was good. His running capabilities are just phenomenal – I think he’s starting to work out some of the running patterns and ways he can exploit what he can do on that front. He does love finishing in front of goal, and there was a nice bit of play where he did. It's pretty exciting and something for him to keep building on.”

Luke Cleary

16 disposals, six marks, three rebound 50s

“It was nice to have Luke back and see him find a bit of consistency after the last couple of weeks. He had a solid game – like I said before, having Zaine back there with a bit of direction was great for Luke in helping him find his feet again. One thing he does well is his ability to find his teammates and use his skills – he’s seen massive growth. He’ll be another to watch over the next few weeks.”

Roarke Smith

10 disposals, three marks, one goal

“Roarkey started off the game really well – he was probably one of our most influential players in the first quarter. Unfortunately for him, in the second quarter he busted his eye. I didn’t think I’d see him for the rest of the day, but it was a massive effort to be able to play through that adversity and pain. You’re essentially playing with one eye – I’ve never done it and don’t want to try it, but it was just phenomenal to see what he was willing to do for the team. He stuck in front of the football a bit as well – which he’s done before, but not in real recent times. He’s a natural mover – his ability to rotate through the mids was pretty important for us too. He had great influence.”

Riley Garcia

25 disposals, three marks, four inside 50s, four clearances

“After a bit of a stint on the sidelines, Sunny’s been pretty solid in his first couple of games back and hasn’t really missed a beat. He was obviously a little bit rusty with the ball handling stuff, which is expected, but his running and repeat efforts were just phenomenal. It’s part of his make-up no doubt, but it’s pretty impressive to see how he can pressure one, then pressure another and get on the end of it. He’s showing some great growth, and has learnt a lot to get himself in the best shape and hit the ground running. It’s been a solid effort over the last couple of weeks, none more so than this past game. We’re excited to see what he can produce.”